This invention relates to a terrace floor and the method for constructing the same. More particularly this invention relates to a level terrace floor that can be rapidly and inexpensively laid over a substructure which is sloping and/or irregular.
The creation of a terrace floor over a deck or rooftop area presents far greater technical problems than that of laying a floor indoors or on the ground. Terrace floors are partially or entirely exposed to weather, including rain. Therefore the underlying surface is generally sloped in one or more directions in order to provide drainage and avoid the myriad of problems associated with standing water. When a terrace or rooftop area is put into use for additional purposes involving pedestrian traffic, such as lounging, eating or recreation, the drainage needs do not disappear. At the same time, the floor surface must be level. It is therefore imperative that a terrace floor constructed in such an area accommodate both human and structural needs.
A terrace floor therefore needs to be essentially horizontally level to accommodate normal human usage, and yet at the same time allow for water drainage therethrough to a sloped surface, directing the water to one or more drainholes for eventual removal through gutters, pipes or the like.
In order to provide drainage through the terrace floor to the underlying sloped surface, terrace floors generally consists of paving blocks which are close enough to one another so as not to cause a danger to those walking on the floor, especially when wearing high heels, while at the same time sufficiently apart to allow for water drainage between the blocks. There must be a space beneath these blocks so that water may flow across the sloped substructure to one or more drains, without carrying along associated debris. There must be sufficient access to the drains to prevent clogging. And, finally, as already noted, the terrace floor must be essentially horizontally level.
Thus, the problem in creating a terrace floor involves laying a horizontal surface upon a sloping substructure while providing sufficient drainage to rapidly carry away surface water. It follows that the supports for the blocks comprising the uppermost surface cannot all be of the same height. Those located on the upward part of the substructure slope will, of necessity, be shorter than those on the bottom portion of the substructure slope.
Various structures have been used in constructing terrace floor systems and various methods used in conjunction with these different structures. However the prior art structures have all tended to be complex and thus more expensive. Often they cannot easily accommodate to construction irregularities of the substructure or of the paving blocks. The pedestals were frequently affixed to the substructure via special receptacles, screws, bolts or the like. This has the disadvantage of requiring substantial extra parts or preparation and also being subject to degradation effects, such as misalignment, over time. In cases where the pedestals are not affixed to the substructure, however, they were liable to shift during construction or in use, or to cause sliding in the underlying protective board. In addition, the manipulation required for the construction can result in damage to the thin sheet of waterproofing material which is normally laid directly on top of the bottommost layer, which, in turn, is generally a concrete slab. The process of installation of these prior art structures has been correspondingly slow, complicated, and expensive.
Structures of the previous art frequently used parts composed of metal and various other materials which are subject to corrosion and other adverse effects due to weathering. Very often relatively thin pedestals were used. These could become unstable under heavy weight loads.
The weight of the structure itself is also a concern in terrace floors as the substructure is a roof or balcony or the like rather than the ground. Some prior art structures used cement or metal pedestals which added substantially to the weight of the floor. This could result in the substructure needing extra bolstering and also result in additional stress leading to wear and tear.
In addition, the previous art terrace floors contained components could lend resilience, which meant that they did not comfortably accommodate small irregularities or shifts in the substructure or paving blocks and were extremely uncomfortable to walk upon.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,307,302 to Gutierrez shows the construction of a terrace floor with drainage means where paving blocks are laid across H-shaped pieces. Levelling is accomplished by filling intermediate supports with mortar to different depths. The H-shaped pieces can be warped by weight stresses.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,065,506 to Tremer involves the use of adjustable vertical pedestals for supporting and leveling paving blocks on a sloping roof. The pedestals are adjusted by means of threaded members which must be individually set to exacting heights during construction. A pedestal can be easily placed out of alignment by vibration, dropped objects, people walking and the like. These pedestals could warp or move out of alignment after some time, causing the paving blocks which are supported thereby to rock and show other signs of instability.
Another known system uses different numbers of stacked levelling plates to achieve the necessary differing distances between the substructure and the surface slabs. Still another system uses telescoping tiltable pedestals which, once properly set to level, are filled with a solidifying mixtures to achieve permanent positioning.
In each of these systems every pedestal or pedestal must be individually and painstakingly set, during the construction process, to an exact height and angle with respect to the substructure.